Read More Articles by Bill Esler

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Bill Esler
ConfSenior Editor

Bill wrote for WoodworkingNetwork.com, FDMC and Closets & Organized Storage magazines. 

Bill's background includes more than 10 years in print manufacturing management, followed by more than 30 years in business reporting on industrial manufacturing in the forest products industries, including printing and packaging at American Printer (Features Editor) and Graphic Arts Monthly (Editor in Chief) magazines; and in secondary wood manufacturing for WoodworkingNetwork.com.

Bill was deeply involved with the launches of the Woodworking Network Leadership Forum, and the 40 Under 40 Awards programs. He currently reports on technology and business trends and develops conference programs.

In addition to his work as a journalist, Bill supports efforts to expand and improve educational opportunities in the manufacturing sectors, including 10 years on the Print & Graphics Scholarship Foundation; six years with the U.S. WoodLinks; and currently on the Woodwork Career Alliance Education Committee. He is also supports the Greater West Town Training Partnership Woodworking Program, which has trained more than 950 adults for industrial wood manufacturing careers. 

Bill volunteers for Foinse Research Station, a biological field station staddling the border of Ireland and Northern Ireland, one of more than 200 members of the Organization of Biological Field Stations.

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Video

5 Video Channels Woodworkers Will Want To Visit

For serious educational viewing, or for kicking back in the woodshop on personal time, there are five video channels you will want to explore. Each has a little different flavor, some all business, like Woodworkers Guild of America, others more casual in style but every bit as serious, like Mark Spagnulo's Wood Whisperer channel. Retailers like Rockler and ToolsToday are adding emphasis to their video channels.
By Bill Esler, June 25, 2015 | 8:10 am CDT
Kauri, Ancient Wood

Pricing & Supply

How Do You Finish 50,000 Year Old Kauri Wood?

The answer on finishing Ancient Wood's 50,000 year old Kauri is "very carefully." Recovered from prehistoric peat bogs in New Zealand, this wood prices at $40 a board foot for flat sawn grain, $60 for quarter sawn and up to $100 for Whitebait, a rare grain pattern that turns iridescent when sanded properly.
By Bill Esler, June 24, 2015 | 11:01 pm CDT
Fenix, Rehau, Arpa,

Panel Supply

Nanotech Soft-touch Surface Use E-beam Cured Acrylic Resin

FENIX, self-healing soft matte nanotech material for vertical and horizontal furniture applications made by Italy's Arpa Industrial, will be distributed by REHAU as part of its surface solutions program. The technologically advanced surface material was developed using acrylic resins and electron beam technology to achieve a soft-to-the-touch, light-absorbing, “super-matte” texture.
By Bill Esler, June 23, 2015 | 12:06 pm CDT
Flame Grilling Products, financials

Woodworking Industry News

Wood Cooking Products Plant Adds 30,000 sq.ft. Plant

Wood products manufacturer Flame Grilling Products opened a 30,000 square foot manufacturing and distribution center in Waldoboro, ME. The 10-year-old firm, which makes wood grilling fuel, says it is planning to open a factory in Florida to convert Southern fruit and nut tree species into wood cooking products to serve the $100 million marketplace.
By Bill Esler, June 22, 2015 | 7:12 pm CDT
Griffin Lumber, OSHA

Management

Griffin Lumber Cited by OSHA as Worker Loses Arm

OSHA says a temporary sawmill worker at Griffin Lumber & Hardware in Cordele, GA, might not have lost an arm if machine guards had been in place. The agency gave Griffin Lumber a willful violation notice and proposed a $56,000 fine for ignoring earlier warnings.
By Bill Esler, June 21, 2015 | 4:40 pm CDT